# Puff Changed my Life (As a Smoker)



## Piper (Nov 30, 2008)

A slightly grandiose title but I had an experience today that made me appreciate the collective wisdom of the gents and ladies here on Puff. Of course, like many of you, I came for the advice and stayed for the great people but I've learned a few things that have made a big difference to me as a pipe and cigar smoker. I'll mention two of the many things I've learned but I hope others will share one or two things they've discovered here that has improved their enjoyment of our hobby.

First the experience that made me appreciate this great forum. A couple of years ago, after a positive review by one of our esteemed mods, @curmudgeonista, I bought several boxes of RyJ Exhibicion No. 3s, box dated 2010. After a little rest in the humidor at 68% RH, I began smoking them. They were fantastic. Great Cuban twang and the aroma of the smoke-intoxicating. Except those sticks were so tight that, even with Modus surgery, you could burst a cerebral aneurysm trying to smoke them. Based on recommendations I read on many threads here, I reduced the RH of my humidor from 68% to 62%. (Thank you @bpegler, et al.) Opening a new box of No. 3s today was a revelation. The same phenomenal taste but nary a problem with burn or draw. Perfection. That's what gave me the idea for this thread. I knew I couldn't be the only one whose life as a smoker was changed by reading Puff and it made me wonder what others had learnt here that had improved their appreciation of cigars and pipes.

Anyway, that's one great thing I learned on Puff-lower the RH of your humidor. Another was a piece of pipe wisdom I learned from Nathan @OneStrangeOne-not from him personally but just from reading one of his many generous comments on pipe threads. I had always smoked pipe tobacco pretty moist, more or less as it came out of the tin. I could get it to burn but couldn't seem to get the same nuances of flavor that others did. Following Nathan's advice, I began to dry out the tobacco for much longer than in the past, as he put it: almost to the point of crispiness. Totally different experience: great combustion, no gurgle, cool smoke and many more flavors. I don't think I'll ever taste as much as my pals over on the pipe side do but that little piece of advice has made a big difference.

So those are two things top of mind that have changed my life as a smoker. What one or two things have you learned here that has enhanced your enjoyment of cigar or pipe smoking?


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## LeatherNeck (Feb 8, 2017)

Here is my top experiences since I've been a member of Puff: 
The caring and generosity of the members on this forum is, to simply put it, Mind Blowing. No where else are folks you've met on-line (most will never meet in person) so willing to: 
1) *Share Knowledge.* So many here eagerly step in to help someone handle an issue that they're having. And I'm not just talking 1 issue 1 time, no sir; I'm talking any and all issues every time. I've seen many of you step up and help out with the same issues time and again. I'm talking knowledge that's taken years of personal experience to acquire offered up to a stranger with no expectation of reciprocation. Astounding!
2) *Share Wealth.* I use the term "wealth" here for lack of a better word, but in reality, that's exactly what goes on. Let me ask a question: If I were to send you a PM asking you to send me $50 so that I could go buy myself some cigars (I wouldn't, this is hypothetical), what would your answer be? I'm certain 99.99% of you would politely decline to send me the cash and instead offer to send me a few of your own cigars. The point I'm making is this; the amount of $ value flying about this place in the form of cigars, accessories, pipes, tobacco, swag, etc. from coast to coast and everywhere in between is incredible. Here's the big kicker for me personally; you all love to do it! You sometimes fight at the chance to share what you have with someone else. And every bit of it (well, mostly) started out as a purchase out of that your pocket...and most of it ain't cheap. It even gets to the point where the MODs have to regulate the amount that someone may send (MAW, PIFF, etc.) because folks will send too many. I've never seen or heard of someone getting into hot water for not sending enough, yet someone sending too much seems to come up quite regular. Generosity at it's fullest! 
3) *Help a stranger in times of need.* I can relate to this one on a personal level as this has just recently occurred with me. I recently had 3 surgeries to repair my ankle and was out of work for 7 months. During that tough time many of you not only made sure that my supply of smoking material stayed healthy, but also that my mind and spirit stayed healthy also. Every single unsolicited package sent my way included a little note with a few words of "well wishing". "Get well soon", "Hope you're doing better", "Hang in there", etc. were some of what the senders wrote and I genuinely believe that they were sincere. I was also PM'd on a regular basis and even had a few send me a text on my phone wishing me a speedy recovery. You see, the cigars and messages themselves are great, but the thing that brought tears to my eyes (doesn't happen often) was the compassion and caring behind it all. That's what brotherhood is all about!

So if in the future you see me doing any of the things that I've described above, it's not because I'm an awesome person; it's because many awesome people here have touched my life in so many ways. You are all my friends, my buds, my brothers and sisters!
Dang-it! I've got dust in my eye again...


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## JtAv8tor (Apr 12, 2017)

My girlfriend thinks I am crazy because during my travels for work I will just blindly meet up with fellow members for a smoke.

She swears one of y’all are going to kidnap me when we meet. She says she won’t pay but I bet she does 


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## TonyBrooklyn (Jan 28, 2010)

_


Piper said:



So those are two things top of mind that have changed my life as a smoker. What one or two things have you learned here that has enhanced your enjoyment of cigar or pipe smoking?

Click to expand...

_

Two things i learned here geez that is a tough one. In the sense that this forum and its many great members have given so much. To both myself and the forum, i was lucky and came here pretty well educated. What i get to take from here is a learning lesson in human nature. The kindness that this place generates is amazing.:vs_cool:


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## Rondo (Sep 9, 2015)

Theres plenty of room for all of us.
Dino wears sneakers in the hot tub.


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## csk415 (Sep 6, 2016)

Learned that @UBC03 has a foot fetish and that I still have a lot to learn.
All kidding aside puff has been a great place to meet fellow cigar enthusiasts and to read some great info


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## csk415 (Sep 6, 2016)

JtAv8tor said:


> My girlfriend thinks I am crazy because during my travels for work I will just blindly meet up with fellow members for a smoke.
> 
> She swears one of y'all are going to kidnap me when we meet. She says she won't pay but I bet she does
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


We would only ransom you off for smokes and she would just use your stash to pay.



Rondo said:


> Theres plenty of room for all of us.
> 
> View attachment 227998


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## Scotchpig (Apr 8, 2018)

My wife calls Puff my Cigar Facebook. I tell her no, it’s Cigarapedia. Maybe not life changing but a great group of people willing to share vast amounts of knowledge. 


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## UBC03 (Nov 18, 2015)

I learned that 61 is better than 68.

You actually CAN'T have TOO MANY cigars

I also learned alot about patience. I've always been "I've explained it once, sink or swim" type of person. But having to explain things here OVER AND OVER and not lose my cool, has helped me in my actual job. Instead of screaming at apprentices because their MORONS, I just explain things over and over in different ways.

I also learned that some of yunz are far more insane than me ,when it comes to cigars. Thanks for that..lol


Oh ya, and all that friends, camaraderie, family ..blah blah blah, stuff ...lol

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## TexaSmoke (Apr 13, 2018)

Yes, Puff has taught me many things in a short time. 
Yes, every bit of info I read helped me in some way.
Yes, I made a few noob mistakes and will mske a few more. 
But....
The biggest thing Puff taught me was to be my own smoker. Its cool to read a million posts and see a million ways to do something, but at the end of the day you have to take that knowledge and make a decision about what to do with it and how you want to proceed. I learned to quit taking is all so seriously, keep it simple, and smoke the dang cigar. That lesson was priceless.


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## Dran (Jun 15, 2018)

First I've learned that manufacturers don't know best, except Modus. That guys a genius. Wether its the suggested seasoning method for a humidor, which im pretty sure is just to make sure you have to buy another every spring, or the 70/70 storage... Ive also learned there are still plenty of good people left in the world. Whenever one of us stumbles, they've got 30-40 guys standing in line to give them a hand up. Not even talking about the care packages, but the supportive threads, pm's, and words of advice/support! Puff has made me a better person, as well as a better puffer!


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## Piper (Nov 30, 2008)

It's true ... what most of us get out of participating on Puff is camaraderie. As I said in my initial post, you come for the information but stay for the people. Although the information is often very good. Since my two nuggets of info really amount to one—lower the moisture level of your tobacco. I'll add one other thing I enjoy here— the humor. I often read stuff here that makes me LOL. If it happens when the family is around, they know. With others it's too embarrassing to explain...


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## Olecharlie (Oct 28, 2017)

Out of one hundred plus things I’ve learned from this community is that Cigar Smokers are an Anomaly! At least in this community! I mean that in a very positive way. There seems to be an unusual type of brotherhood for lack of better words. I have never had so many friends I have never met and feel we are all equal and accepted as such, no matter our status, profession, degrees or lack of, just a group of caring people that enjoy the Leaf together. 

#2 - No matter how many stupid mistakes you have made in the Journey most everyone else has made those same mistakes. Though I have been spared many due to the knowledge here, then I read another thread and realize after two short years of smoking cigars I’m still a Noob!

Cheers


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## Randy956 (Dec 16, 2013)

JtAv8tor said:


> My girlfriend thinks I am crazy because during my travels for work I will just blindly meet up with fellow members for a smoke.
> 
> She swears one of y'all are going to kidnap me when we meet. She says she won't pay but I bet she does
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


She won't. She will be happy to collect the insurance.


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## Randy956 (Dec 16, 2013)

I’ve learned an awful lot here on Puff too.


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## Randy956 (Dec 16, 2013)

Scotchpig said:


> My wife calls Puff my Cigar Facebook. I tell her no, it's Cigarapedia. Maybe not life changing but a great group of people willing to share vast amounts of knowledge.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


My wife asks what the "girls" are saying on puff. She thinks it's like a coffee clatch.


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## UBC03 (Nov 18, 2015)

Randy956 said:


> My wife asks what the "girls" are saying on puff. She thinks it's like a coffee clatch.


Quilting bee

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## Stogiepuffer (Aug 8, 2016)

I've learned alot here as well in the last 2 yrs. My wife will aks me 'Who is that girl you're communicating with?' and I have to say it's me. That's my avatar. So who posted the feet pic? Dino? 

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## kacey (Jun 18, 2018)

I have learned that their such a thing as to much.  Since I am one of those that has been scolded for sending to many cigars. 
I have also learned there are a lot of people like me still out there people who care for each other.

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## JohnBrody15 (Mar 20, 2016)

I've learned that I have to smoke like 10 cigars a day to keep up with you guys.....

I'll second learning about drying your pipe tobacco out from @OneStrangeOne. That was pretty significant. In thinking about it, there's so much, on the pipe side alone, that I've learned from many of you guys.....it's a testament to this place and what it offers.

Keeping my cigars around 65% rh was significant too, but that wasn't from any one person, rather it was the Puff collective.


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## UBC03 (Nov 18, 2015)

Stogiepuffer said:


> I've learned alot here as well in the last 2 yrs. My wife will aks me 'Who is that girl you're communicating with?' and I have to say it's me. That's my avatar. So who posted the feet pic? Dino?
> 
> Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk


You know it ain't me.. Freaks..

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## Pag#11 (Apr 14, 2018)

What a great thread @Piper. 
I am the person that would give the shirt off my back or my last dollar to a stranger. Joining puff I realized there are STILL alot of good people left in the world and a bunch are members here. I know I can DM any one of ya's with a question about a smoke or any other thing and get an answer almost within minutes. I remember a time when @kacey sent me 30 smokes yes 30. I actually felt awkward accepting them but that's who he is and I have to respect that, no matter how many times he has gotten scolded...lol. 
When I get up at 3:45 am I know @OneStrangeOne will be posting his first smoke or @Hickorynut will be saying mornin Puff kins even though he has been dealing with some major issues, it very rarely shows and I respect his strength more than he can imagine. When I see @Cigary post I know it will be a no B.S answer and from almost a half century of experience. I can go on and on. We have a great group of people here and I thank you all for your kindness, generosity and just being yourselves. Amen .

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## Olecharlie (Oct 28, 2017)

Scotchpig said:


> My wife calls Puff my Cigar Facebook. I tell her no, it's Cigarapedia. Maybe not life changing but a great group of people willing to share vast amounts of knowledge.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Lol, my wife says the same, I only had a Facebook account for two days when it first came out and canceled it. I do have to say my wife is pretty understanding of my cigar hobby.

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## Bird-Dog (Oct 16, 2009)

csk415 said:


> Learned that @*UBC03* has a foot fetish...





Randy956 said:


> I've learned an awful lot here on Puff too.





Stogiepuffer said:


> ...So who posted the feet pic? Dino?


I'm sorry to interrupt what should be a serious contemplative thread for this, but the "feet" thing ceased to be funny a long time back... if it ever was!

It started with me mildly chiding members for not being able to take an overhead picture of incoming purchases without accidentally getting their feet in this shot. The worst were those with bare feet (or wearing flip-flops) and Dino chimed in his agreement, which took it into a discussion of whether grown men should wear sandals outside of beach & pool (hint: unless you're a pretty girl with pretty feet keep 'em under wraps).

Anyway, this stuff stops here and now! It isn't funny and injecting it into discussions to needle or "gross out" other members is inappropriate (and, yes, that's plural, "other members", not just one guy), which is why I deleted the photo posted in this thread. Got me?

My apologies to @*Piper* for having to bring this up in his thoughtful thread... though I'm not the only one who should be apologizing.


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## poppajon75 (Apr 10, 2016)

Great thread @Piper. It's great to be able to put out the for everyone what PUFF has, and continues to do for you. There's so many more members that we sometimes forget are there because they don't often post. This is the kind of thread that may just help some come out of the shadows and participate. 
During the just over two years I've been here, I can honestly say that I owe everything I know about cigars and pipes to the forum. I was as green as they come when I signed on. I've made so many friends here as well. Just like local friends, time in between conversations and distance make no difference. This is just as much a social club as it is a cigar, pipe, and all things related forum. I hope PUFF is here for generations to come.

Sent from the puff cigar lounge.


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## huffer33 (Jun 13, 2017)

First as someone who is typically a solitary smoker, I learned how much we puffers have in common here. From the good-natured camaraderie and generosity displayed by all to world views. It is a great forum and I am very thankful to be a part.

Second I learned everything I know about smoking pipes here and how deep that rabbit hole goes. Definitely something I will enjoy for the rest of my life and I hope you Piper's don't think I have abandoned it... I'll be back as soon as I ever finish rotating through these older cigars.

Sent from the pre-Cambrian


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